1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for individual packaging of medication tablets according to a multi-dose system. In the following connection, the term “medication tablets” comprises solid, oral forms of medication, in other words whole or parts of tablets, coated tablets, film tablets, capsules, etc. In the following, these are always (also) meant when the term “tablets” is used.
2. The Prior Art
In supplying medications to nursing home residents and also other aged or chronically ill citizens, the problem occurs that several medications frequently have to be taken at different times of day. In the case of nursing home residents, the medications are made available by the care personnel. This work is generally not very much appreciated by the care personnel, because the activity is time-consuming and prone to error. Therefore, individual packaging is already available in pharmacies, where individual packs, tailored to the specific persons, generally for a week at a time, so-called weekly packs, are produced. However, placing the individual tablets into the packs by hand is not only time-consuming, and the corresponding costs are not covered by the profit margin of the medications, but also, this process is prone to error.
One speaks of a multi-dose system if different tablets are prepared in individual compartments of a tablet container, individually, for a specific person, for an extended period of administration, for example a week. The contrast to this is a unit-dose system, having only a single type of tablet in a tablet pack. The term “tablet compartment” is to be understood generally in the present connection; for example, it also comprises small tablet bags.
Within the scope of the invention, medication cassettes, preferably having a flip-open or push-open lid (lower lid) or tablet blister packs (also with a plurality of tablet compartments) are possible tablet containers. In the case of blister packs, the compartments of which are generally sealed with a removable sealing film/foil, these are usually disposable packaging.